An hour before an event nobody told you about

Empty Gymnasium

An hour before an event nobody told you about, or an hour after one you were not brought to. Wax, rubber, and an echo that comes back from further away than the wall actually is. The lines on the floor are for a game somebody spent a whole unit teaching you, and you could still stand in the right place for it without being able to say its name. This is the room you were made to sit in rows in, and it is the only room from that building you have ever dreamed about.

This memory is still coming into focus.

Reality Is Optimal · created by Julian Cape, 2026